There are risks for nearly everything in life, but some risks are costlier than others. Each year, tens of thousands of people are diagnosed with oral cancer. If you are worried about getting oral cancer, you need to know which groups of people are more at risk for oral cancer than others. Here is some information about the groups of people who need to get yearly oral cancer screenings.
What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer is any cancer that occurs in the mouth, including the tongue, soft and hard palates, gums, and the insides of the cheek. Usually, oral cancer begins as a bump or a patch in the mouth. Dentists have screening tools to help diagnose and treat oral cancer because if it is caught early, it is treatable, and patients have good outcomes.
Groups at Risk for Oral Cancer
While anyone can get oral cancer, some people are more at risk of getting oral cancer than other groups. Here are some of the groups that have the most risk of being diagnosed with oral cancer.
Tobacco Users
While many adults believe that smoking cigarettes is the main factor in oral cancer risk, if you smoke, vape, or chew a tobacco product, you have a greater risk of oral cancer. This risk also includes people who smoke or vape tobacco products with cannabis as well.
Heavy Drinkers
Heavy alcohol use can change the cells in your mouth, which can make your cells more susceptible to cancer. Heavy alcohol use is defined as either women who have more than four drinks a day or eight drinks per week or men who consume five drinks per day or 15 per week.
HPV
If you have been diagnosed with HPV or the human papillomavirus, you increase the risk you will get oral cancer. HPV changes the composition of cells in your mouth, which leaves them damaged and prone to oral cancer.
If you are worried that you are at risk for oral cancer, why not let us ease your mind? Reach out to us today to make an appointment to visit with our dentist.
Dentist Hillsboro, OR | Dental Blog - Century Dental Hillsboro, OR Jefferson Call, DMD and Dix Densley, DDS believe that the better informed their patients are, the better their decisions about dental care can be. With this blog, they hope to inform and empower our readers in their oral health. - See more Century Dental, 2831 SE Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro, OR 97123 | (971) 708-1608 | centurydentalllc.com | 11/27/2024 | Tags: Dentist Hillsboro OR
There are risks for nearly everything in life, but some risks are costlier than others. Each year, tens of thousands of people are diagnosed with oral cancer. If you are worried about getting oral cancer, you need to know which groups of people are more at risk for oral cancer than others. Here is some information about the groups of people who need to get yearly oral cancer screenings.